Online Counselling

What is Online Counselling?

• Online counselling involves having therapy with a trained psychologist.
• Each session usually lasts 50 minutes, via either telephone or video link using software such as Skype, Zoom, Google Hangouts, Facetime etc.
• Counselling works in exactly the same way as face-to-face therapy but it is just carried out online
• At Therapy Central you have the option of having online counselling sessions on the same day and time each week. Positively, online counselling can be flexible and you can choose a day and time each week to have a session that suits you and your therapist will try to accommodate this as far as possible.
• Online Counselling has been happening for some time now and growing in popularity, long before COVID-19 entered the scene.
• Online Counselling can help with depression, anxiety issues, relationship and couples issues, anger management, bereavement and many other types of problems you might be facing.

Online Counselling: Is It Safe?

It can be a minefield out there trying to get your head around all the different terms for therapists and knowing if they have the right level of education, qualification, experience and expertise to help you.

• At Therapy Central, we have a team of highly qualified and experienced Clinical and Counselling Psychologists who have been thoroughly vetted. Hence, you are in safe hands if you decide to receive online therapy in our service! Feel free to take a look at our team.
• Some people can be concerned about privacy issues with regards to online counselling. At Therapy Central, we avoid modes of online communication that have privacy issues, and we suggest options that are more privacy compliant.
• We’ll always check in with you about the communication tool you feel most comfortable using.
• Maintaining safety, confidentiality, and anonymity is part of our ethical and professional values. Enshrined in the BPS and HCPC codes of conducts. These are the professional bodies regulating our practice.

Benefits of Online Counselling

There are several benefits to online counselling, some of which make it superior to face-to-face therapy:

• More Convenient: You save time and money by not having to travel to meet your therapist.
• More Flexible: You can choose from having regular sessions on the same day and time each week/fortnightly. Alternatively, you can choose from a list of available therapy slots that your therapist has each week/fortnight.
• More Comfortable: Some people find that they feel more comfortable opening up when having therapy or counselling online.
• Avoid Long Wait Times: When seeking help via the NHS, there can be very long waiting times for therapy, often at least a year. At present, many NHS services are not prepared for remote working. In addition to increased demand upon their services during this stressful period, the wait time for therapy is likely to increase. At Therapy Central, we have numerous available therapy slots where you can see a therapist online immediately.
• Private Healthcare Insurance Covered: With the COVID-19 Pandemic, more and more private healthcare insurance providers are approving sessions via video-link (online therapy). If you are covered by insurances such as AXA PPP, VitalityHealth, Cigna, WPA and more, you’ll likely be able to use your membership to cover the cost of therapy or counselling online.